1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic and electromechanical games and, more particularly, to hand-held games having a visual display in which the user can obtain feedback on his or her performance during, or after, play, play a game, and/or interact with a virtual pet or other character.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mechanical games (games in which the user performs the entire game via some mechanical function without the assistance of electronics), have decreased in popularity over the years. With the advent of electronics, many of these games have become obsolete, and others merely remain in existence for nostalgic purposes. In order to curb this trend, some people have tried to rekindle consumer interest in such games by adding electronics to them. While such attempts have added electronics, none have achieved the level of inviting user interaction and/or providing user feedback.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,518, to Knauff, discloses an inertial device for adding sight and/or sound to a rotating device, be it a wheel, a yo-yo, a top, a frisbee, or any other like device. While Knauff discloses adding electronics to a rotating device, it is limited in the type of entertainment it provides because it does not invite user interaction and/or provide the user with feedback on his or her performance during, or after, the game. Ultimately, the addition of such electronics amounts to no more than adding "bells and whistles" to an old mechanical game. Such attempts are doomed to fail in attracting and maintaining the user's attention. After minutes, if not seconds, of play, any user will realize that this is simply the same old mechanical game with an added "blinking light" or "cute noise." The addition of such electronics neither allows for user interaction nor provides the user with feedback on his or her performance during, or after, the game.
Another attempt to modernize mechanical games is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,444, to VanKuiken. VanKuiken discloses use of a light emitting diode (LED), positioned within a rotatable device, such as a yo-yo, to produce "a stroboscopic effect." The addition of LEDs to a rotatable device does, perhaps, make the device more interesting to look at, but will quickly lose the observer's interest because it too does not allow for user interaction and/or provide the user with feedback during, or after, the game.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,328, to Ho, discloses a multi-purpose yo-yo that provides for a plurality of LEDs, which light-up upon rotation of the yo-yo, and a speaker to generate "funny" or "exciting" sounds. Again, the addition of LEDs and/or speakers create initial interest in the operation of the device, but quickly lose their attraction because they fail to create user interaction and/or supply the user with feedback on his or her performance during, or after, the game.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,966, to Capps et al., discloses a rotating body having an electronic display. This patent discloses use of a display to generate a message that can be read by a user once the rotational speed of the body is in synchronization with the clocking speed of the display circuitry. The Capps patent discloses nothing more than an invention capable of displaying a visual message or character. Such a device is limited in that it only provides a preselected output to be displayed to the user and does not provide user interaction and/or feedback on the user's performance during, or after, the game.
Accordingly, it has been determined that the need exists for an improved electronic toy which overcomes the aforementioned limitations and which further provides capabilities, features and functions, not available in current devices (be they simply mechanical, electrical, or electromechanical).